


None the worse for wear

by Ferairia123



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Domestic I think, Kissing, Leviathan as Bahamut, M/M, Merpeople!AU, Shapeshifting, Underwater!Insomnia, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 13:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12682674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ferairia123/pseuds/Ferairia123
Summary: Noctis wanted to see Ignis on the surface but Gladio isn't around to escort him. Fellow friend and Crownsguard-to-be Prompto to the rescue. Shenanigans ensues. From getting caught in the wrong fishing net to getting into a naval exercise waters, it was eventful to say the least. In the end of the day, Noctis was saved from getting caught in a naval crossfire, blasphemy happened and Prompto got cuddles. None the worst for wear.





	None the worse for wear

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #1: Mermen A/U!
> 
> This Merpeople!AU had so many plot bunnies I was dying to finish it.
> 
> In this world, after the Astral War, all the races lives hidden from the humans in order to preserve harmony and peace. The patron Astral for the merpeople is Leviathan. The merpeople had lived within plain sight of the humans as they are able to shapeshift into them. They are familiar with the modern technology of the human world but seawater hasn't been kind to tech. Noctis has armiger and so does his twin, Nox. The Oracle Lunafreya, also a merperson, is the ruler of the Tenebrae waterways and communes with all the Astrals.

Prompto looked towards the open sea in boredom. Suspended in the net with the fishes was kind of fun and a bit satisfying in the case of food but now that he's full, it had lost the interest it had. The Prince of the Insomnian shore was sleeping away, peacefully. Like him, the prince, Noctis found the nets interesting until he was full. Being the almost narcoleptic that he is, he predictably fell asleep.

 

The real reason why they were still in the net and not escaping was that they were waiting for the net to be hauled in. It's to be hauled in not just by anyone but by their fellow friend and chamberlain to the prince named Ignis. 

 

Prompto felt the water getting warmer at a snail's pace as they sun rose. It must be morning now. He really wished there was another way for the prince to see his chamberlain but this was the only way apparently. The prince's Shield was away from the palace and Prompto, being the responsible friend that he is, didn't want him to go to the surface alone. And now...he's here...bored.

 

Reaching towards the prince, he poked whatever he can reach, earning a swat or two. Eventually, Noctis woke up and gave him a glare.

 

"The hell was that for?" He asked in annoyance, stretching and flicking his flicking his black tail in the process.

 

"Duuude~, how could you leave me hanging like this? I'm bored." Prompto whined, shifting around to face the prince, his sand coloured tail standing out from the grey and blue of the caught fishes.

 

"Not my problem." He said before yawning. " Ugh, where's Specs anyway. I'm bored, too."

 

Prompto shrugged, a few of the fishes bumping into his shoulder. "Well, you did say all we had to do is wait for him in his research nets." He reasoned. "So waiting is what we're doing."

 

Noct stared at him for a minute. "...Yeah." He said stiffly.

 

Prompto stared back at him. This time with his eyebrows furrowing. "Dude....is there...something you're not telling me?" His tone was strongly suspicious. He felt his blood ran cold with a thought that just occurred to him but he didn't want to acknowledge it yet.

 

"Nothing." Noctis answered a bit too quickly, eyes darting over the nets and looking up through the fishes, searching for something.

 

"We're in the wrong net, aren't we?" Prompto stated with an air of despairing resignation.

 

Noctis looking straight to Prompto’s eye for a second, he finally sighed. Without much warning, he summoned a dagger and cut through the net.

 

Groaning at that, he followed him as the other fishes began to stream out.

 

They swam away for quite a distance before breaking the water's surface to find out if there's any vessels around. They were cautious in doing so since it was a famous fishing spot and surface dwellers weren't supposed to find out about them. They didn't hear any boats around but it doesn't hurt to be safe.

 

"Let's get out of here." Noctis commanded in a serious tone. Prompto nodded quietly at that.

 

Once they were in more familiar water of the Lucian sea, Noctis stopped mid swim.

 

"Hey, what are ya doing? I thought we were going home?" Prompto asked in urgency. "Preferably, before anyone finds out?" He hissed.

 

Noct gave him a grimace and rolled his eyes before he summoned something else. It was a waterproof phone.

 

Prompto felt his jaw dropped. The whole time they were there, they could have just called Ignis? He was choked on his words at how indignant he was.

 

Noctis dialed and waited for the call to connect.

 

Just when Prompto found his voice, Noctis raised a hand to silent him.

 

That just made him simmered and growled in anger before throwing his arms up. It's pointless.

 

"Yo, Iggy. Let's meet up." He said over the phone. A paused and he could almost see the chamberlain reluctantly dropping what he was doing, judging from the loud sigh. Prompto just heard mumbles afterwards before the prince replied. "I'll send the coordinates. I think we're not that far from the coast though." He ended the call with another 'ok' before he was tapping the phone and sent the message.

 

Prompto gave him the deadliest glare he had but Noctis simply gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Sorry, man." he simply said before dismissing the phone.

 

"You could have done that sooner" Prompto said, still a bit miffed. "I was just drifting there for ages. AGES!" He gestured wildly which usually meant the armiger. “AND you lied about how to meet up with Iggy. We could have just called him!”      

 

"Look, Iggy always has his net with some magic in it. I felt it in the net when I first got there but when I woke up it was gone." He explained himself. “I thought I had the right one.”

 

Prompto looked even more lost, making Noctis sigh.

 

Suddenly, he paused in thought. "Wait, can I do that too? Or is it like a Kingsglaive thing?"

 

Happy the subject had switched, Noctis decided to roll with it. "Yeah but Crownsguard like Iggy and Gladio can do it, too." 

 

Prompto suddenly perked up at that. "You mean, I can do it, too?" 

 

Before they could answer, they could hear a boat was coming through.

 

Both reacted by swimming deeper into the sea, hovering over some kelp. If it was a surface dweller boat, it'll pass them and hopefully, it won't have sonar.

 

The boat stopped just above them. The two kept still and waited, if it was Ignis, he would jump into the water.

 

What surprised them was, there were two bodies that dropped into the water.

 

Prompto nearly bolted, dragging Noctis with him if Noctis didn't sock him in the ribs.

 

Looking up at him in confusion, it was all gone when he saw Ignis with Gladio swimming towards them.

 

"Calm down, it's just them." Noctis said while giving him an apologetic look. "Need healing?"

 

"Nah." Prompto brushed him off with a smile. "Let's go."

 

Unfortunately, they were all in the surface dweller’s naval exercise waters and they got an earful from Ignis because of it as they grabbed some towels and clothes. Once Ignis knew where they were, he had to lie to the person in charge to hold it off until he could get his specimen. In case of trouble, Gladio who was around for another job had to join him.

 

"Your Highness." He sighed. " I don't mean to be unreasonable but should anything happen to you-"

 

"You'll never forgive yourself and probably be executed by Dad." The prince finished for him. Expression still as unimpressed about the whole situation. " Look, I didn't know. I went out yesterday, not today."

 

Prompto looked so stiff with the reprimand, he was only able to nod every few words, paling even more as the situation sunk in.

 

Eventually, Gladio was the one who put a stop to it. "Look, it already noon and it's gonna get hot. Let's get to shore and report to His Majesty." He suggested, giving a worried look to the paling guy. "As it is, Prompto looks like he's going to faint."

 

The other two turned their attention to him. "Prompto, are you well? Do you need to get back into the water?" Iggy asked, hands already slowing the boat down.

 

This caused Prompto to jump in panic. "No, no, no. I'm ok. Just....the military thing...Kinda too close for comfort." He said with a loud gulp, probably nightmarish scenarios of getting the crown prince killed running in his head and getting himself killed by proxy or just die getting caught in the crossfire.

 

At that everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Some merpeople had difficult adapting to the surface. While it can be as benign as dizziness, others can be as deadly as chronic dehydration or sunstroke. Prompto hasn't been to the surface as often as they did so their worries were valid.

 

Considering everyone mostly got their tails morphed into legs, if there's any problems, it'll show up now.

 

"Let's get you into the cabin and get you some water and maybe something to eat." Gladio said and steered the blond. "You still look too pale." Ignis sped the boat back up.

 

He was still jumpy but followed through, trying to protest and failing.

 

Now, that the two had gone down to the cabin, it was only Noctis and Ignis above deck.

 

The silence stretched on with only the roar of the wind and the droning of the boat for company.

 

Feeling awkward, Noctis sidled up next to Ignis, eye not meeting the other.

 

"I'm...sorry." He said loud enough for him to hear. “For making you worry.” He looked like it took a lot out of him to do just that.

 

Ignis raised an eyebrow at that. "That's a first in a long time." He said with mirth in his eyes, trying to catch the other's eye.

 

Noctis chuckled at that, meeting the interested gaze. "Not my fault you became a researcher up here and barely have time to come back." He answered with a friendly elbow to his side.

 

Ignis smiled at that. "Well, someone has to keep up with the world." He commented. "I'm not sure if you've spoken with the Oracle lately but Lady Lunafreya has been communing with the Astrals. She told me that Leviathan was not...cooperative with the recent natural disasters."

 

Noctis groaned at that. Between the scourge, the prophecy, the power battles amongst the waterworld and the Astrals not being happy, Noctis and his twin, Nox had a lot on their plates. Plus, the crystals power draining his father's life was not something he liked to linger on. Last time he spoke with her through phone, they were discussing the spread of the scourge from the sea to land…and maybe about certain Tenebraen sweets but it seemed like it was a long while ago.

 

The surface world had suffered two major tsunamis in the last five years with the recent one just a few months ago. It was not a good sign.

 

"It had to be the bitchiest one who rules over the waters." He hissed, his temper and frustrations flaring.

 

"Noctis!" Ignis reprimanded. 

 

"No, she is a pain and I'm so done that I almost want to take the trial just to shut her up." Noctis responded heatedly, running his hand through hair, giving his hand something to do rather that hitting something.

 

Ignis gave him a lingering look before shifting back forward. "As you wish, Your Highness."

 

Noctis was taken aback by his reaction before a lazy smirk of realization settled on his face. 

 

"My, my. You liked that, didn't you?" He commented sleazily.

 

"My love taking on an Astral? Why, certainly." He responded with equal sleaziness, eyes fluttering behind his glasses.

 

Noctis chuckled as he leant up for a chaste kiss.

 

Once the boat was berthed, Ignis went to get the other two, only to find Prompto sleeping in Gladio's lap with his head tucked under his chin.

 

He loathed to wake them up and decided to go back up deck and called Gladio's phone instead. It achieved the intended goal as the two blearily emerged

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, romance! This took forever to make. I'm lagging behind so badly for the prompts.
> 
> I hope it wasn't too confusing though.


End file.
